Book-support



(No Model.)

W- A. BARNES.

BOOK SUPPORT NQ. 575,627. Patenteduan. 19, 1897.

,e Il

.29 HHM 76' in y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM A. BARNES, OF LAMPASAS, TEXAS.

BooK-SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 575,627, dated January 19,1897.

Application filed June 5, 1896. Serial No. 594,384. (No model.)

and other books used in commercial and court houses, wholesale houses, railwayoffices, dto.; and the invention consists in certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my improvement. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof, and Fig, 3 is a detail cross section on about line 3 3 of Fig. l.

The apparatus includes a frame A and the book-supporting platforms B. These platforms B consist of boards having at their lower edges moldings b to keep the book from slipping off. Rack-bars B depend from these platform-boards, preferably one near each end, as shown. These rack-bars have each a row of ratchet-teeth arranged with their square shoulders facing downward, as shown. The frame A has lower and upper bars l and 2 and end bars 3, and is provided at its middle with bars 4 4, connecting the bars l and 2, and between the bars 4 4 I form at 5 the seat for the back of the book, such seat being cushioned by felt or in other suitable manner. It should be noticed that this seat is formed entirely in the frame and is y hereinafter.

The sections of the frame A between the bars 4 and the ends 3 receive the guiding, holding, and releasing devices which coperate with the platforms B. To this end bars 5 5a extend between the bars 4 and 3 parallel to the bars l and 2, and have guide-openings 6 (see Fig. 2) for the connecting-cords and bearings 7 for the windlass-sh-afts C. These windlass-shafts C have crank-handles OQ and operate to release the detent-pawls in the manner more fully described hereinafter. In the end sections I fix the boxloops D, forming guides for the rack-bars B', and the pawls E are arranged to engage such `through guides G, thence through the openings 6 in the bars 5, and connect with the shaft C, so that proper turning thereof will release the pawls. It will be seen that the two pawls controlling each platform are controlled by one shaft, so the platforms may be lowered by turningthe said shaft. Either platform may be lifted to any suitable height, and will be held thereat by its pawls until it is desired to lower the platform, which may be accomplished by a slight turning of the windlass, effecting an instant release of the pawls and permitting the platform to lower.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of the frame having upright keepers, the platforms each having near its opposite ends upright bars operating in said keepers, detents engaging said upright bars and the windlass-shafts one for each platform and connected with and adapted to release both-detents of their respective platforms substantially as shown and described.

2. A book-support composed of a frame having guide loops or keepers, a central backrest, the platforms on opposite' sides of said central back-rest, the upright bars held to said platforms and movable up and down in the keepers of the frame, and detent devices by which to secure said platforms in different adjustments, and means for simultaneously releasing the several detents of said platforms substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination of the frame having upright keepers, the opposite platforms having depending bars fitting in said keepers, the detents engaging said bars, the shafts extending longitudinally beneath the platforms, and connections between said shafts and the detents, substantially as shown and described.

4. The book-supporting apparatus, consisting of the platforms having;` depending l sections, theboX-ioops fixed in said sections mok-bars, the frame, having guides for said and forming guides for the rack-bars, the mok-bars, the pawls engaging said bars, the pawls pivoted t0 the box-loops, the windlesswindlasS-shafts,the connectionsbetweensad shafts, and connections between the same 5 shaft-,s and pawls, and guides for said eonnecand the pmvls substantially' as shown and de- 15 tions substantially as shown and described. scribed.

5. The book-support herein described e011- YVILLIAM A. BARNES. sisting of the platforms having depending Ttnessesz rack-bars, the frame having the central seats D. J. MORRIS, 1o for the book-back and provided with the end D. C. THOMAS. 

